So much for Stephen Harper’s pledge that our troops in Iraq would be in a noncombat role

‘So now we know. Canadian special forces in Iraq have been “painting” Islamic State targets for our CF-18 fighter-bombers. They’re been operating so close to the front lines that they have come under fire. And they have been shooting back.

That’s not what Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised Parliament on Oct. 3 when he made the case for sending special forces. He insisted, four times, that they would have a “noncombat” role and that there would be “no ground combat mission.”

The Canadian forces would merely “advise and assist” Iraqi and Kurdish troops who are battling the jihadists, he said. Canadians were led to believe that our small force of under 70 “boots on the ground” would be restricted to a teaching role far behind the lines, well away from the fray.’

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